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New Low-Latency Ubuntu Server Build Proposed

01-20-2010, 03:00 PM

Phoronix: New Low-Latency Ubuntu Server Build Proposed

Canonical's Tim Gardner is seeking comments regarding a new build of Ubuntu Server that he is proposing. Canonical is considering another build of Ubuntu Server (there is already Ubuntu Server 32-bit and 64-bit along with specialized builds for cloud computing with Amazon EC2 and UEC), but this one would be specialized for just 64-bit platforms that have low-latency requirements and on power consumptive systems...

Comment

If you want a low latency version then just offer a low-latency kernel that is a optional install and setup a group for realtime rights that a person can add a account to.

Does not seem a significant amount of difference from a normal server to justify a new variant.

Redhat is successful with working with companies that have special requirements like this. Figure out how they deal with it and see if it's worth copying.

I can do everything described above, and a lot more, just by taking a base Debian install and installing packages and reading the documentation provided by those packages.

Ya I don't see the need for a special ubuntu version as well. Why not just have a different kernel config package. Sounds like a lot of extra work for nothing. In openSUSE 11.2 we did just such a kernel package for a low latency desktop kernel.

Comment

Disabling C states? Why? The kernel has a perfectly fine API to control the latency via a file in /dev, and with that you only disable the C states that are needed, and only for the duration you care about latency.

Also, as of 2.6.32, the cpuidle code should be a lot better about reducing the average latency you get in practice..